The Untold Tekken Story 3: The Hands of Fate
by JunKing
Summary: King, Peter, and Julia are recovering from the fourth Iron Fist Tournament when suddenly, another series of events prompts them to enter the fifth. For King, it's revenge and for Julia, it's her dreams. For Peter, it's a missing friend and an old rival...
1. Abuse: Sylvia's Prologue

The Untold Tekken Story 3: The Hands of Fate

Chapter 1: Abuse

"Daddy no!" I cried as he slammed his fist into my back.

"I didn't mean to lose the fight!" His right fist collided with my mouth, sending me flying backwards and crashing into the wall. My black hair flew wildly about my face and I couldn't tell if the red I was seeing was my red streaks…or blood. By the way, my name is Sylvia Kwon and you're seeing how I grew up.

I'm eighteen years old now and this was a few years ago. Every time I lost a fight, my father would beat me as punishment. He still does this. I've never had the courage to fight back, he is my father after all. No matter how much I may disagree with him and his ways, I still am obligated to respect him.

So yeah, I was always catching the beat down from my dad, he always hated it when I lost a fight. My fighting style is called the Burning Phoenix Martial Art. It's a family secret and it's only taught to those within the Kwon bloodline. They kind of messed up already because I'm not of actual Kwon blood. I was adopted into the family when I was a young girl. Apparently, my parents didn't want me so they shipped me off to America where I came to be adopted by a half Japanese, half Korean family. I'm actually Korean, but some confuse me for being Chinese or Japanese.

Anyways, I came to live on Long Island, New York. I attended various private schools, trying desperately to "get the education that I deserved". Whatever. Basically, my family is rich and they wanted me to have the best of everything there is. My stepmother is the only one I get along with, since she doesn't beat me whenever I lose a fight. She is the only one to embrace me after my father is done and tell me that it was okay.

Father on the other hand, would never accept defeat. To him, defeat was not part of the Kwon heritage. It was something unheard of in my family. My mother was the one who taught me the Burning Phoenix Martial Arts. The moves were mainly used to stun and render one unconscious, but my father taught me the more brutish moves. Because of this, nobody in school ever messed with me. They knew what I was capable of, and this fact was the one that always scared my enemies into submission. All except one: Peter Colόn.

Sure he was a good guy, but that's what I always hated about his personality, he was a 'good boy'. He never talked back to me when I made fun of him, hell I KNOW he let me win all our matches against one another. I have to admit though, the kid had guts. He got his ass beat by me everyday and walked away standing tall and proud. That's another thing that pissed me off about him: he never showed his emotions. Be real, who takes a beating and then walks away like it never happened?

Let's not forget the fact that he likes me. Uck! That's so gross! Nobody liked him in school, only a select few which did not include me. People always picked on him and put him down and honestly…I loved every minute of it. Yeah I know what you're thinking. But it's true, I'm a heartless bitch and I'm proud of it. He acts like he's the only one who's ever had to suffer, like he's the only one who knows pain. Why doesn't he realize that I know more about pain than he does? I was rejected by my family, tossed to another country, and now I catch an ass kicking every time I lose a fight.

Then, the hotshot found out that his parents were hurt, so he goes off to the King of Iron Fist Tournament 3. Since it was the first new one in over twenty years, he suddenly gained popularity at my school. All of a sudden, he was everybody's hero, everybody's role model. The principal would lecture the school on how he wished all his students were as determined as Peter, willing to die to for what they believed in. So were the Kamikazes.

He left for the tournament and never came back. While he was gone, his parents, in fact his entire family was murdered. NOW, he knew about pain. He was later adopted by King. I wonder if it was done out of pity. Anyways, he did pretty well in the tournament, even coming up to the top three. He was then defeated by his new stepfather, King. How ironic.

And then I found out that he died. He was killed by some monstrous being known as Ogre. I felt bad for the guy, hell I even cried. You have no idea how much regret I had building up inside of me. I felt like I'd killed Peter myself. I mean, he liked me and the best I could do was beat him up for it. I felt ridiculous, and for once I wasn't proud of being a bitch. I realized that I had a mistake with him.

But then I found out that he was indeed alive. I don't how, I don't know why, but I suddenly hated him all over again. How dare he play with me like that? Did he fake his death? I don't know, and I don't care but now I have a bigger problem. My best friend Tiffanie has gone missing. She just disappeared one day after school. I think she was kidnapped, in fact I know she was kidnapped.

After she disappeared, I got a letter in the mail. Inside was a warning, telling me that whoever this was had Tiffanie, and that if I didn't enter the latest King of Iron Fist Tournament, then bad things would happen to her. So I took the invitation and with my parents' permission, I decided to enter to save her. I left out the whole situation with Tiffanie, but I told them about the tournament. My father approved right away, telling me that it would be a good opportunity to test my skills. My mother approved as well, saying it would help "build character". ANYways…I'll be leaving for the tournament soon.

No doubt, Peter would enter as well to try and save her. I wouldn't allow it. Just like all the other times, I'll kick his ass and save her myself. Sorry Pete, but it looks like you're going down…again.


	2. Challenge: King's Prologue

Chapter 2: Challenge

"Look! It's King!" I heard one of the onlookers say as I walked through the crowded streets. I offered a kind smile and a small wave and went on my way. It's been a couple of months since the King of Iron Fist Tournament 4 and I've been a happier man. When I look back on myself over the past few months, I see just how pathetic I was behaving. I beat a man to within inches of his life and for what? Revenge? Armor King wouldn't have wanted revenge, he would have stopped after winning the fight.

I remember that night in the hospital. I sat there, ready to kill Marduk. I was focused, I was prepared. Heh, I wonder if I would have been prepared for the consequences: jail, losing Peter and probably throwing him out on the streets, disgracing my fans, disgracing Armor King. Would it have been worth it? I would have had the satisfaction of revenge, but would it hold up against all of the guilt?

"Hi King!" a small boy said to me as I walked. I stopped and knelt down to him and offered him my hand.

"Well hello there little one. What is your name?" I asked as the boy's parents seemed overjoyed to be having their child meet me.

"My name is Johnny!" he said with pride. He then shook my hand. "When I grow up, I want to be a famous wrestler just like you!" he told me. I laughed as I patted him on the head.

"It was nice to meet you Johnny. Remember to always listen to your parents, they have your best interests at heart." I said as the family began walking away. With a wave, I left and continued on my way home. Peter was probably worried sick, since I hadn't called or anything. I was wearing my new black pants with a snazzy black jacket. Peter calls it my "pimp outfit". He's such an odd one.

"Hey King! I know you're watching me!" I heard a voice say. As soon as I heard it, I cringed at the sound. It was without a doubt Marduk's voice. I looked around, trying to see where the voice was coming from. Suddenly, I heard my name being called again. I looked up to the store next to me. On it was a giant television screen. What I saw was shocking.

"Rwwwwwaaaaaaarrrrrr!" I roared as I saw Marduk wearing a mock imitation of Armor King's mask. 'How disgusting…' I thought to myself as I looked up. The people around me stopped to watch as well, wanting to see what in the world would upset me this much. Even the people on the streets looked at me with pity. They knew how much of a disgrace it was for Marduk to be wearing that mask. After all, he did kill Armor King and now he was practically making fun of him.

"King! I know you're watching, so listen up!" he said. I clenched my fists, ready for action right there and then. I had to try and calm down. After all, I was in public.

"You're a punk you know that King! You just got lucky when you beat me. But now I'm ready as hell and I'm gonna take you down! Be ready for me at the King of Iron Fist Tournament 5 so I can whoop your ass once and for all!"

With that said, the channel resumed to its normal news coverage. I was furious, to say the least. 'How can he do this! Who does he think he is! Didn't he learn ANYTHING from the last time! I guess not, so now I know what I have to do…' I thought to myself as I picked up my pace of walking towards my home.

"I won't let him disgrace my master!" I said as I walked through the crowd. Last time, I let Marduk off easy. This time, he won't be so lucky…


	3. Dreams Reborn: Julia's Prologue

Chapter 3: Dreams Reborn

I sat there, typing away on my computer. Here at Arizona Reforestation Facilities, life was bland and quite boring, but not for me. My dreams of reforestation were becoming a reality a couple of months ago. Unfortunately, I lost to Jin Kazama and there went my chance of accomplishing my hopes and dreams.

I swirled in my chair after coming to a dreadful realization…the realization that I couldn't go any further with my dream until I got my old research back.

"As Peter would say, this sucks." I said as I threw both of my long brown braids over my shoulders.

"I guess I better go tell the team…" I said with a sigh as I rose from my chair.

Later…

"What do you mean? Are you saying we're at a dead end, ANOTHER dead end?" Trista said. I looked her up and down for a second, her whole body posture shifted into one of anger and rage. Her Chinese features seemed to pull together, giving her the appearance of ugliness. I sighed with a roll of my eyes before replying.

"Yes Trista, that's what I'm saying. Unfortunately, we need our old research to continue."

"Miss Chang?" I heard a voice say. I turned around to see Robert standing before me with an excited look on his Italian features.

"Yes Rob?" I said, wondering what he wanted to say.

"I think you might want to see this." He said as he motioned to the television in the next room. Looking back at Trista and the rest of the team, I began to follow Robert into the room. Everyone except Trista went back to work, for she began to follow as well.

Robert smiled as he pointed to the television. I listened as the reporter began to announce something, something that would catch my eye.

"_With the recent death of Heihachi Mishima, many are questioning how this is possible. It would seem that a mystery source has declared yet another King of Iron Fist Tournament. This will be the fifth installment of the ground-breaking Martial Arts…"_

"I get it! See Julia? This is your chance to shine!" Trista said.

'Remind me to fire this woman once I reach a break-through…' I thought as we stood in front of the television. Don't get me wrong, I liked her but she had this seriously annoying habit of stating the obvious.

"You're right. I know what I'll have to do." I said, giving Trista a reason to jump high in the air. I can't believe it, but for once I was agreeing with her. I knew that as soon as I got home, I would have to check the mailbox. This could be my last chance to get back my old data…


	4. The Letter: Peter's Prologue

Chapter 4: The Letter

'I have to do something', I thought to myself as I finished reading the letter. It was addressed to me, Peter A. Colόn, Jr. and it wasn't signed. Now I have no clue as to who it was that kidnapped Tiffanie. I'm sure her family is worried sick.

Tiffanie is the only surviving part of my childhood. We grew up together. I was relieved when I found out that the wrath of Ogre left her untouched. We didn't always keep in touch; I was always busy with the tournaments and so much was happening to me back then. I'd been helping King take care of the orphanage, and that in itself was no easy task.

There was always some excuse, always something in the way of our friendship…and now those reasons just don't seem to stack up anymore.

"I should've been there…" I said aloud to myself. Suddenly, I heard the front door open and slam shut.

"Peter! Did you see what Marduk has done this time!" King yelled out as he stomped into the kitchen. I hid the letter behind my back as I spun around on my chair and nodded slowly.

"He's a jerk, but please don't let him get to you." I said.

"Pete, you know I can't let him just DESTROY Armor King's reputation like that! I HAVE to do something about this. Don't worry, I'm not going to kill him, but I sure will beat some sense into him!" he replied.

I sighed as I was reassured that he would never be that desperate ever again. At least through all this turmoil, I knew that King would never become a murderer.

"King, maybe you should go calm down a bit. Maybe you could work out or something." I said, wanting to get back to my letter.

"Yeah you're probably right. I'm gonna go lift some weights." He replied. I sighed when he left the room and reopened my letter.

'Come to the King of Iron Fist Tournament 5 or else Tiffanie dies…' I mentally read the note.

"Hey Pete?" I heard King say. Quickly and in shock, I spun around and hid the letter again. He looked at me funny, like he knew something was up.

"Y-yeah?" I said nervously, kicking myself mentally for being so damn obvious.

"You okay?" he asked me. I smiled and nodded, reassuring him that I was just thinking about something.

"Well, I just wanted to tell you that you can enter the new tournament. I figured I'd get you off my back since you've been bugging me about me letting you enter for the past few days." He told me. I smiled and replied to him.

"Thanks King."

"By the way…what did you want to enter this one for?" King asked.

I smiled to myself deviously as I thought about the letter. "Oh, I'm sure I'll think of a good reason."


	5. Street Fighting

Chapter 5: Street Fighting

Sylvia Jung Kwon, that's the name, don't wear it out! If you knew me personally, you'd think I wasn't exactly the nicest person in the world. In fact, I can be somewhat of an arrogant bitch. That's the way I like it though. I will do and act however I please, I don't care who you are. That's why I don't have many friends, but whatever, who needs warmth when you can be cold and still get what you want?

I heard that Peter is entering the King of Iron Fist Tournament 5 to save Tiffanie. Supposedly, he has information that I don't, and now he thinks that he can just go ahead and save the day. Jerk.

I walk alone down the streets of Tokyo, where the tournament was going to be held. I came early to get some training done. In fact, that's where I had just come from. My long raven colored hair whipped around my face as the wind picked up, making me stare at the dark red highlights I had put in my hair.

I wore black jeans, with two silver chains attached to both sides of my legs. On my knees were two red bandanas tied around them. My red top was sleeveless, letting my black wrist bands have their glory.

Before I knew it, I was walking down a dark alley. I realized where I was, and walked with courage as people moved out of the shadows.

"Hey beautiful. What's up?" The leader said as he approached me. I continued to walk, trying to appear devious. You know what, scratch that. I wasn't trying, I was damn well devious. After giving him a full body glance, I spoke.

"Oh please, you're way too old for me."

He smiled. "What does THAT have to do with anything these days?"

I walked past him saying, "I don't hook up with fossils like you."

Suddenly, his hand was roughly pulling on my hair.

"You ASS! I JUST got my hair done!" I screamed out as he threw me against the wall. He smiled as he pressed his body against mine. Quickly, I regained my breath and thrust my knee into his crotch.

"Get the hell off me." I said as he fell to the floor. I ran for the other end of the alley.

A hand grabbed onto my ankle, making me fall to the floor. I kicked the man's face and jumped to my feet. I unhooked the two silver chains from my pants and went buck wild, slashing at all of the men.

I swung my left hand at the man who was trying to hit me. The long chain I was holding wrapped around his wrist. I held onto the chain and spun him around so that his back was facing me. After that, I swiftly sank my heel into his spinal cord. I twirled the two silver chains around and watched the men walk backwards slowly.

Reattaching the chains to my pants, I looked at the gang and shook my head.

"Tisk, tisk…BITCHES."

With that, I turned around and made my way into the main street. 'Oh dear.' I thought to myself. 'I can't wait for this tournament to start so I can kick some REAL ass.'


	6. Crossing Over

Chapter 6: Crossing Over

Through the Eyes of Peter

I walked the lonely streets of Tokyo. King and I arrived here yesterday. To tell you the truth, King and I had a fight tonight. He found out why I wanted to enter the tournament and he was severely pissed that I didn't tell him my reasons sooner. So after a mini shouting match, I grabbed my jacket and took off. I really hate fighting with King, but sometimes, I just don't know how to act around him.

He doesn't know about everything. He doesn't know how I feel…well…oh never mind. I walked on the sidewalk, careful not to get too close to the dark alley ways. I wouldn't want to get killed or even raped here. Suddenly, I stopped in front of a club. It had pretty neon signs and I noticed that it was called 'The Shadows'.

'Probably a goth club.' I thought to myself as I walked up to the door. The bouncer stood still, not even flinching as I walked up to him.

"You got some ID?"

"I'm eighteen." I replied.

"I don't give a damn! You got some ID to prove it?" He barked at me.

I resisted the urge to kick him in the nads as I reached into my black jeans' pocket for my wallet. Pulling out the square leather pouch, I took hold of my ID and shoved it in the man's face.

"There. You see? Are you happy? Are you satisfied?" Suddenly the man grabbed my wrist and I could no longer deal with his attitude. Showing mercy, I kicked just above his testicles and rammed my other fist into his chest. He closed his eyes and slumped down the wall. I smiled to myself slowly.

"You shouldn't have treated me like a kid." I said as I walked inside. I noticed that my conscience wasn't bothering me at that moment. I unzipped the black jacket I was wearing to reveal a red t-shirt underneath. This was my first time in a club and to tell you the truth, I was a little nervous.

As soon as I got into the heart of the place, I realized that I was correct. This was indeed a Gothic club. Men and women danced around wildly in chains and all kinds of leather and metal. I felt out of place, but then again why did I? I mean, I used to walk around in a trench coat and act like I hated the world, so why couldn't I fit in here? My feelings of anxiety slowly began to ebb as I touched the top of my gelled frosted hair. Each of my hairs was brown at the root and then turned white halfway to the top. This was another thing that King and I fought over.

Eventually, King realized that I was growing up so he let me do my thing. Honestly, I was beginning to dig this place as I made my way over to one of the many moshpits.

At first, I slowly danced around with everyone else, every now and then getting hit in the face by some random guy or girl. I started to lose my cool once I got kicked in the sack. Rob Zombie's Reload was heard blasting throughout the club and I found that it fueled my anger. Swinging about wildly, I used my attacks on pretty much everyone around me. I heard screams and yells as the dancers began to hit the floor.

I was thrashing about like a madman, hitting and taking down everyone in sight. Suddenly, a black boot found its way to my face. I fell back to the ground and grabbed my nose. It was bleeding slightly. As I stood up, I looked at the people around me. Many of them were crying and holding each other. Then I looked up to see who hit me. I was speechless.

She was a girl around my age with black hair up to her lower back. Once my eyes reached the middle of her hair, I noticed that the rest of it was dyed a blood red. She had a fashionable bun in her hair with black chop sticks holding it together. She wore a black blazer with and underneath, I could see a red bra. Her black jeans had red flames on the bottom of both legs and that's when I knew who it was.

Sylvia Kwon…

She was my rival all throughout my high school years and she often bullied me and pushed me around. By the time I left for the King of Iron Fist Tournament 3, she had broken me down into a worthless piece of dirt. No more, and ESPECIALLY not tonight.

I stood back up on my feet and got into my stance. The music continued to blare over the speakers as onlookers began to gather around.

"Well, look who we have here." Sylvia said.

"If it isn't Miss Tight Pants." I replied.

"Cooooorrrrrrnnnnnnyyyyyyyy!" She yelled out to me as she dropped into her stance.

"Yeah well same to you." I said as I ran at her. Swinging around with a kick, I was prepared to feel her head collide with my leg. However, there was nothing at all. I finished spinning only to be met with an open-handed uppercut. This was her 'Jaw Breaker' attack.

I yelled out in pain as she thrust her heel into my stomach and twisted around, landing her other foot across my face as she twirled through the air.

"Same old Petey. Still weak." She said.

"Don't CALL me that!" I yelled as I ran forward to her and threw a punch. It landed in her shoulder and next I used my elbow to collide with her nose. She gasped as she jumped back to avoid my oncoming kick. I showed no mercy as I leaped forward and hop kicked her in the chest, sending her into the air slightly. From there, I ran forward and used to left jabs, finishing the combo with a spinning back kick.

"There. How about that?" I said as she limped up to her feet. The floors lit up in all different kinds of colors and for a moment, I almost couldn't see her anywhere. That's when I felt her fist land in the back of my head. I spun around with a punch, but she dodged it. Instead, she sweep kicked me to the ground and stood over me. I felt too weak to continue, so I just stared back up to her.

She smiled with that evil grin on her face before saying, "It's just like old times Pete. I beat you AGAIN." With that said, she tossed her hair over her shoulder as she walked away and into the crowd. I heard sirens and soon, police officers were surrounding me. The yelled at me in Japanese but I understood what they were saying.

"You are under arrest for attacking all of these club members."

Damn. King's not gonna like this.


	7. Bonding

Chapter 7: Bonding

Through the Eyes of King

Back at the hotel…

I opened the door for Peter and let him in. After he passed me and entered the house, I walked in and closed the door. After locking it, I turned to see Peter standing against the kitchen counter looking guilty. I played with one of my whiskers as I walked up to him.

"Sit down." I told him. Slowly, he pulled over a chair and sat in front of me. I noticed that he couldn't even look at me. This made me feel bad for him, but not too much. I wanted to know why he did what he did, and why the police had to take him to the station.

"You wanna tell me what happened?" I asked. Peter kept his head low and his face was red with embarrassment.

"I don't…know where to start." He replied.

"Try from the beginning." I said in a pushy matter.

"King…" he began. "There's something that I have to tell you…"

"Well, I'm all ears." I said in a more compassionate matter, sitting down beside him.

"It's about you…and it's about me…" he said. In my mind, I wondered what could be THAT bad that he was so scared to tell me. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

"I…guess I'd better get that." Peter said as he rose to his feet and walked to the door. I frowned and looked down as he left me. Lately, he's been so unreachable, so distant. I mean for real, the Peter I knew wouldn't have even dared to have entered a goth club. He was always trying to make things in his life work out for the best, not the worst. And now…I just don't know what to say or do anymore.

I looked up to see him open the door. The door opened to reveal Jaime Parker and Julia Chang. Peter smiled and nodded to the two. Apparently, they were going to go hang out or something. Turning to me, Peter spoke in a low tone.

"Dad, can I please go with my friends to the movies?" He sounded sad as he spoke and I was shocked to hear him refer to me as his father. I thought about it for a quick second, but I decided to let him go on ahead.

"Of course you can…" I said. Peter smiled slightly before he turned around. Once Jaime and Julia were out of sight, I called out to Peter again.

"You can tell me anything…" I said, trying desperately to reassure him. He remained silent for a few seconds, almost as if he was trying to find the right words to say.

"Thanks…maybe one day…" he said before he slowly turned around and left the room, closing the door behind him.

Putting my hands on my head, I dropped low into my lap, tears rising into my eyes but none falling.

"I don't even know my own son anymore…"

Through the Eyes of Peter

"Peter…we haven't talked in a long time you know…" Julia whispered to me as the movie started. I looked up at the ceiling and ran my right hand through my bleached hair.

"Things have been different Julia." I replied to her in a tone that I began to regret. She jumped slightly and shifted to the other side of the chair, leaning her shoulder against Mina's. I looked over to see that Jaime and Mina were holding hands and they both looked happy and satisfied. Julia and I on the other hand, weren't as happy as the two.

'I can't let Julia feel like this…' I thought to myself as I looked at her sad face. She kept her eyes on the screen but I could have sworn I could see watery eyes underneath her glasses.

"I'm sorry…" I said as I wrapped my arm around her. She stayed still for a moment, but slowly she eased back over to me and rested her head against my shoulder. Using my other hand, I grabbed her and massaged it gently.

'I can't do this…I can't keep LYING to them, to ALL of them…' I thought to myself as the movie began its first action sequence. For now, it would seem that lies were my only true friend…


	8. Confide In Me

Chapter 8: Confide In Me

Through the Eyes of Mina

"Mina? I'm going to go hang with Hwoarang for a bit okay?" I heard Jaime say. As he spoke, I played with the straps of my black tank top before straightening out the creases in my dark blue jeans. After I finished combing my shoulder length black/red hair, I answered my boyfriend.

"Okay Jaime. Be back in time for dinner, I wanted to get together with Julia and Christie tonight." I replied.

"Sure thing!" he called out as he stepped out of the bathroom. After tying his blonde hair into a low ponytail, he walked over to me and gave me a soft kiss on the lips.

"I love you." He told me as he embraced me in a hug. I smiled and hugged him back, replying, "I love you too Jaime."

After running out of the room and catching up with Hwoarang, I turned back to the mirror and glanced at myself. I had a feeling rush over my body, a sense of displeasure and almost disgust. I could tell that I wasn't happy with what I was seeing in that mirror. But then again, what girl actually DOES like what she sees?

'Oh calm down Mina…' I thought to myself as I sat down on the bed.

"Who am I?" I said aloud as I laid back on the sheets. Lately, I'd been feeling as if I was just a shadow of Jaime. I felt like I devoted my time to him and that I didn't lead my own life. I needed something, anything at all to do. Why couldn't I have a Mina adventure?

"Oh well…" I said. I mean sure, I'd helped Jamie defeat monsters and creatures that go bump in the night, but I wanted to do something normal for a change; something where my life wasn't in danger or something like that. I wish I could do something for someone for once, instead of doing whatever Jaime wanted me to. Not that I'm complaining, Jaime is a wonderful guy and I love him very much. It's just that sometimes I felt that I was the only one who wanted to live a normal life.

Maybe that's just my feminine instincts kicking in. Suddenly, there a slight knock at the door. It was extremely light, and if I wasn't sitting still in the room, I probably would not have heard it.

Getting up, I walked over to the door. I saw someone's shadow underneath the door. Before I reached the door, I saw the shadow begin to walk away. I broke into a quick jump, reaching the door and opening it to reveal no one. I looked down the hall to the left and spotted someone walking away.

"Wait!" I cried out.

Turning around, I saw that it was Peter. What would he be doing at my door?

"Oh Peter," I said as I laughed, walking over to him. "If you're looking for the boys, they left a few minutes ago."

"Actually…I was looking for you…" he said. Just then, I realized that his face was tearstained.

"What's wrong Peter?" I asked, guiding him back to my door. He remained silent, not wanting to say anything at all.

"I…I…" he managed to say through whimpers. Suddenly, he collapsed to the floor, busting out in a fit of tears.

"Peter…"

I sat down next to him next to my door and hugged him, holding him close. He continued to cry and I didn't pressure him to talk. It looks like now I will have that chance to help somebody, just like I always wanted.

"I'm sorry Mina…" he said in a whisper as he calmed down a bit.

"What's the matter? You're not usually this upset about anything…" My words must have comforted him to some degree for he began to speak again.

"It's King…"

"What is it? Is he hurt?" I asked, afraid of what his answer would be.

"He's…fine…Mina, I'm so TIRED of holding in all these secrets…" he exclaimed in a gentle voice.

"Well you don't have to hold anymore secrets. You can tell me…if you want. Isn't that…why you came to me?"

"…yes…"

I stood up and helped him to stand as well. I knew that talking about secrets in public was never a good thing, even if nobody was around. The hallway was the perfect place for somebody to overhear unwanted business.

"Come one Pete, let's talk about this in private." Just then, I motioned to the door. He walked inside slowly, and as soon as he was inside the room, I thought I heard a noise. I turned to see what it was, but I saw nothing.

'Strange…' I thought to myself as I closed the door.

Turning back around to face Peter, I motioned for him to sit down. As if he was unsure of himself, he warily sat down of Jaime's bed. I came over and sat next to him, ready to hear what he had to say.

"Before you say anything, I want you to know that you can tell me anything. I promise, I will never tell anyone anything without your permission, not even Jaime." I reassured him.

"…Thanks Mina. Jaime's lucky to have a girl like you…"

I blushed slightly, because it sounded as if he was jealous of our relationship. I never liked it when I found out that someone envied me, it made me feel uncomfortable. It's like this: people sometimes put me on a pedestal, but I don't see what's so special that they have to do this. I'm normal just like any other crime fighting teenager. Wait, that didn't come out right…

"So Peter, what is it about King that has you so upset?"

"Okay…don't laugh when I tell you this…" he said in a hoarse voice.

"I promise, I won't laugh at you." I said in a comforting tone of voice.

"Thanks…well…lately, I've been noticing that I felt different somehow about King. It's hard to say this but I think I…" he stopped speaking, as if he didn't know what else to say. But I knew what he was thinking.

"…you like him…" I said as I came to the realization on my own.

Peter nodded slowly, not saying anything at all but rather letting his body language do all the talking for him. At first, I didn't know what to say. All throughout high school, I used to have many gay friends. They always said that I was great to talk to, for I didn't make fun of them for their secret. Surprisingly, Peter continued to speak.

"But I'm not gay…I don't like guys, it's just…I feel that way about him, and him alone…"

I had to admit, what he said was a little strange. Then I began to piece things together for him.

"Peter, I think I know what caused this. King was there for you when nobody else was, he took you in as his own, he helped you get past all your pain…and I think that's why you like him. You seem to be attached to people who care about you the way he did. That's why you're with Julia. She brought you back to life and you felt attached to her."

Peter smiled slightly, chuckling to himself. "Mina, you should be a therapist."

I laughed along with him at his comment. "Well, I do take psychology at my college. Guess all that studying paid off!" I managed to get him to smile wider and this made me feel happier. I felt like I was helping him, and I was flattered that he came to ME out of all his friends to talk to about this.

"I just wish I understood myself…" Peter said. I put a hand on his shoulder and he shuddered a bit. I smiled at him and told him something that my father always used to tell me.

"Life is a journey. It's all about discovering who you are and what you are comfortable with."

Peter seemed satisfied with my answer and to my surprise, he hugged me. I blushed as he did so, but I did not let him see this.

"Thank you Mina…you're a good friend." He told me.

"No problem Peter. My friend Maureen always told me that I should be a therapist." I said with a giggle.

Suddenly, the door flew open and in came Jaime. He had a look of anger and shock on his face as he stood in the doorway…


	9. Wrongly Accused

Chapter 9: Wrongly Accused

Through the Eyes of Peter

"Hey bro, you wanna tell me what you're doing with your arms around my girl?" Jamie said to me as I let go of Mina. This whole thing must've looked real bad to Jaime, and his face was proving the fact. Not only did his facial expression threaten me, but his face was as red as a tomato and it looked like it was ready to explode.

"Jaime, it's not what it looks like!" Mina said as she stood up. I stood up as well and thought of something to say. I didn't want to tell him what I had just told Mina because of the fact that he was a guy and I know how he thinks. The first thing he'd think is 'whoa, I didn't know you were a queer' or something along those lines. Jamie stomped towards me, clenching his fists as he did so. I became afraid and I felt grateful when Mina stood in front of me and yelled at him.

"I said that it wasn't what you think it was! He just came here to talk to me! He wasn't trying anything and neither was I!" she yelled. I looked into Jaime's blue eyes and tensed up. I never felt so afraid of him in all my life.

"Mina get out of the way." He said calmly.

"No, I'm not going to let you hurt him!" she yelled back.

Suddenly, Jaime pushed Mina onto the bed and walked towards me. He went for a punch to my face, but I blocked and dodged to the floor, spinning around and landing my right fist into his gut. If he were a normal person, he probably would've stopped, but he was a Nephilim and that meant that he could take pain. Now the question was: could I?

Jaime barely flinched when I punched him and that terrified me. I'd never seen him this angry before and that made me wonder what was going on. Jaime reached down and picked me up by the throat, putting me up against the wall. Mina jumped off the bed and pulled at her boyfriend's waist.

"Jaime no! Let him go, he didn't DO anything!" I heard her yell.

I began to choke slightly, but not as hard as I thought I'd be. Obviously, he didn't really want to hurt me, but his actions told me otherwise.

"So I leave for one minute and already you're all over my girl. I KNEW you were jealous of us, but how could you stoop so low!" he into my face. I closed my eyes and tried to speak, but it wasn't doing me any good at all. Suddenly, a plan came to mind. His legs were wide open and my feet were dangling. Quickly, I thrust my right foot into his crotch and fell to the ground as soon as he let me go.

"Sorry Jaime, but you were SERIOUSLY overreacting." I said as I grabbed my throat and stood up. Mina ran over to my side and helped me to stand.

"Are you okay!" She asked me as I stumbled back a bit. I smiled at her and nodded slowly, catching my breath once more.

"Jaime! What's your problem! Peter needs our help and here you are trying to choke him out!" Mina yelled as Jamie stood up and looked at me.

"Oh yeah? Help with what?" He said. Mina went silent and looked at me, almost as if she was asking permission to tell her boyfriend what I told her. But still I didn't trust him with that kind of information, not because he would tell anybody, but because he would think differently of me.

"I'm breaking up with Julia." I said, making Mina sigh quietly with relief. I swallowed slowly, afraid he would know that I was covering. To my surprise, Jaime's facial expression changed completely into one of sorrow.

"Aw man, I'm SO sorry. That chick downstairs told me she saw you tow hugging before you went into the room together." He said.

"What chick?" I asked, wondering who would say such a thing. Mina asked as well, trying to find out who it was.

"Umm…I think her name was…Sylvia? Yeah that's it, her name was Sylvia Kwon." Jaime replied.

"That bit-" I started to say, but I quickly ended my sentence when I realized that Mina was in the room. I couldn't curse in front of a lady.

"Who's she?" Mina asked as she let Jaime help me out. After he checked my throat out, I began to tell them who she was.

"She was this girl that I had a crush on. She does pretty much everything in her power to make my life miserable, and this just goes to show it." I said angrily.

"I can't BELIEVE a girl would do that to you!" Mina exclaimed, making my anger fuel as I realized she was agreeing with me.

"Man I'm sorry. I should've known you wouldn't have done anything like that." Jaime apologized.

"It's okay, you didn't know and I guess it didn't look right either." I replied.

"You know how those women do, Pete." He said to me.

Suddenly, Mina stomped on the floor and gave Jaime a death glare.

"What do you mean 'those women'?" she asked in anger.

"Oh, I mean everyone except YOU of course." He replied, trying to calm her down.

"Okay. I'll be sure to tell that to Christie and Julia later on." She said as she walked past him. Jaime looked at me with an apologetic expression and began to speak to me.

"Man, I should've known I couldn't trust her. She just seemed so nice, I didn't believe she was lying."

"Never trust a pretty face unless it belongs to Christie." I said in a joking manner. I felt a little better now that we'd settled things. Jaime went over and grabbed Mina, embracing her in a kiss.

"I'm sorry about that, it won't happen again." He said. As they kissed, I rolled my eyes and looked the other way, jealousy beginning to set in deep.

"It better not!" she said before looking to me.

"C'mon Pete, let's go to the movies. We can talk about you and Julia while we're there okay?" she said to me. I smiled and nodded, walking after the two of them and embracing them in a mini group hug. Thank goodness Jaime didn't find out. Maybe one day I could tell him, but I had a feeling that Mina was right. This was probably just an attachment phase.


	10. An Awkward Situation

Chapter 10: An Awkward Situation

Through the Eyes of Peter

"Alright Pete. This is how you do a Giant Swing." King told me. We had been training for a little bit and King was beginning to show me some of his wrestling moves.

"Lay down on the bench press machine over there, and I'll show you how it goes." He said. I did as I was told, laying on my back and watching him come over to me. To my surprise, King took his tank top off and tossed it to the side.

"It is way too hot in here." He said. I nodded in agreement, though I wasn't about to start removing my clothes as well. He stood before me wearing nothing but black shorts and black sneakers. His jaguar mask seemed to peer into my soul, making me regret my feelings. Once again surprising me, King stood in front of me and took hold of my legs, spreading them apart and resting one leg under each arm. I blushed immediately in this awkward position and I hoped that he would let go soon.

"Okay, so you take the person like this and then you start to swing them around in a circle, got it?" King said. I nodded slightly, being too embarrassed to say anything out loud.

"Oh..." I heard a voice say. I looked over to my left and saw a woman standing in the doorway. Her eyes seemed to throw daggers, even though her expression was purely one of shock. Her dark brown hair fell behind her shoulders and right away, I noticed that she was here to work out. Adorned in a black sports bra and shorts, she appeared to be almost a heavenly sight to my eyes.

"Hi!" King said with a smile on his face as he waved to her.

"King! Can you let GO of me!" I yelled, being embarrassed beyond repair.

"I'll let you two have the gym to yourselves." The woman said as she turned to walk away. I hopped up to my feet and gave King a death glare.

"Great, now she thinks we're gay." I said to him.

"You never know!" King said with a playful wink. I shot him a look of disgust to hide my feelings as he laughed like a child. Obviously, he was just kidding but I couldn't let him know that his statement affected me. I ran after the dark haired woman.

"Wait!" I said as I put my hand on her shoulder. Immediately, she stopped walking and turned around, giving me a look that said 'did you JUST?'

I took my hand off of her shoulder slowly, trying not to make any sudden movements. I caught my breath and began to speak to her.

"Okay, what you just saw, it wasn't what it looked like." I managed to say.

"Riiight." She replied.

"No REALLY! That was my dad!"

She shot me a look of total disgust while saying, "Your own father..."

"Oh my god, no! Not like that1 You see, he was teaching me some moves."

"I'll bet he was." She replied.

"Okay, okay. Let's just take a break here. I'm here for the tournament. Are you?"

She smiled slightly, but it seemed threatening. "Yes, I am."

I looked down at her body, taking in her muscles. If I had to fight her, I don't know if I could take her.

"Hey buddy, my face is up here." She said angrily. I looked up in shock, I must have dazed off.

"Sorry." I said. I found that it was hard to communicate with her, as I was extremely nervous while dealing with her. I did admire her middle eastern accent, I found it to be very sexy. Judging by her skin tone and voice, I would probably say that she was Egyptian or something like that.

"Don't worry," She said. "I won't tell anybody about your homosexual incest relationship." She said with a wink. I choked up and couldn't say anything to defend myself.

"B-but!" I managed to choke out.

"I'll see you around." She said with a devious smile as she turned to leave. As she turned the corner, she slammed into somebody. The girl that she walked into turned out to be none other than Sylvia.

"Hey! Watch it!" Sylvia said as she watched her walk away.

"Same to you." The woman said. Just then, I looked on the floor and saw some kind of card. I picked it up and on the card was a picture of that woman. The picture wasn't very flattering, as she was stone faced in it, not even smiling slightly. Her name read 'Jamila'. Hmm...she is pretty interesting.

"Jeez, who's your friend?" Sylvia said as she came over to me. I hid the ID card and looked in Jamila's direction, even though she was already gone.

"I don't know, we just met and...wait a minute, why am I even TALKING to you!" I said harshly as I walked away from her and back to the gym. I heard her laugh in an evil manner, taunting me as I walked away from her.

"I love you too!" she said sarcastically. I can't WAIT until I face her in the tournament.


	11. First Blood

Chapter 11: First Blood

Through the Eyes of Sylvia

"First, we have Sylvia Jung Kwon!" The announcer yelled. The lyrics to Vermillion by Slipknot began to play as I made my entrance into the arena.

_She seems dressed in all the rings_

_of past fatalities._

_So fragile yet so devious_

_She continues to see_

_Climatic hands that press_

_Her temples and my chest_

_Enter the night that she came home_

_Forever... _

As I walked into the ring, the crowd cheered for me. I nodded casually to the fans, noticing that several of the fanboys were holding up signs that said 'Sylvia Kwon has the stuff that fills the cups!' Disgusting, but true I might add. I looked down to my breasts and smiled slightly. 'Yep, ahh. I got it and I always will.' I thought to myself.

I played with the chains attached to my black jeans as I waited impatiently for my opponent to enter the ring. I noticed that my red t-shirt attracted some laughs from the audience. It read "Kiss My Ass" I wouldn't be surprised if some of the fanboys tried to hop in the ring and actually kiss it. I would beat them until they didn't know who I was anymore. And that my friends, is how I do.

Untying the bun in my hair, I let it fall back behind me as the girl entered the ring. Some Pop song played, and it really got on my nerves. I recognized it as Not Gonna Get Us by TATU.

_Nothing can stop us, no no I love you_

_They are not gonna get us_

_They are not gonna get us_

_Nothing can stop us, no no I love you_

_They are not gonna get us_

_They are not gonna get us_

"Now everyone welcome Emily Rochefort! Otherwise known as Lili!"

'Lili' stepped in front of me and put one hand on her hip, the other on her chin as she told me, "How long can you stand my attacks?" I puckered my lips and kissed the air, using my hand to highlight the words on my t-shirt. Right away, I knew I wanted to choke this bitch. She was only sixteen and already she thought she was hot shit in a champagne glass. Heh, more like cold diarrea in a Dixie cup.The referee came into the center and explained the rules to us. The whole time, Lili and I stared each otgher down, ready to go at each other's throats.

"Okay are you girls ready?" he said. Both of us nodded and got into our respective stances. Some people laughed at my stance. I crossed my hands in front of my chest like a bird and tilted my head inwards towards them. I bent my knees and got ready to battle.

"Fight!"

I made the first move, running up to Lili and slapping her in the face. She jumped back and held her face, fanning it with her other hand. I thrust my right leg out to kick her stomach, but she moved out of the way. As I turned to see her, she spun in the air sideways like a missile and kicked me with both feet. I fell to the floor and grabbed my stomach, trying to catch my breath.

"Oh hell no." I said as she laughed at me, covering her mouth as she did so. She looked into the audience where her butler was and said, "Sebastian, couldn't you do better than THIS?" she asked as she pointed to me. That did it. I sprung up to my feet and ran at her, grabbing hold of her golden locks. Pulling her down, I thrust my knee into the side of her head at least three times before letting her go. Shoving her away from me, I smiled as I looked at my gloved hand. Some of her hair was in it. I let it fall to the ground, making it visible to her as I motioned for her to bring it on.

Apparently, she felt extra sensitive about her hair, as she came running like a bull after red.

"Torro, torro!" I taunted as she ran to me with a kick. I dodged it and spun around, back handing her in the face. After that, I bent my right leg behind me and kicked her up into the air. I rolled underneath where she was about to fall and thrust my leg into her stomach, holding her in the air. After tossing her off my foot like I would trash, I jumped to my feet and flipped forward. She barely rolled out of the way, and I paid for my mistake. She kicked at my head with her heel, and it landed right in my temple. I jumped back and grabbed my head, thank goodness she's weak. She could've killed me if she was strong enough with that attack.

I grinned at her and gave her the finger, making her charge at me in anger. Running forward, I jumped into the air and dropped kicked her in the chest. The pain I received from landing on my back was nothing compared to what she was now feeling. You see, us girls have a soft spot just like guys. For guys, it's the nut sack. For girls, it's the boobs. She let out a cry of anguish as she collapsed to her knees. Taking advantage of her distraction, I rose to my feet and spun around, kicking her across the face with my black leather boot.

"That's right, kiss the floor." I said as she hit her face into the cushioned floor. She let out a cry and appeared to pass out. The referee came over to her and checked to see if she was still conscious. Then, he waved his hands around in the air. I did it! I won my first battle and it was feeling excellent. I knew I'd win but seeing Lili knocked out on the floor was just so reassuring...look out Peter C., Jr. You're NEXT!


	12. Love's End

Chapter 12: Love's End

Through the Eyes of Julia

'Where is Peter?' I thought to myself as I stood in the center of the lobby.

"He said he'd be here, so where is he?" I said aloud this time. That's when I heard his voice call out my name.

"Julia!"

I turned to see him running in my direction. Right away I smiled and ran to embrace him. Grabbing him in a hug, I smiled.

"You're late…" I teased him. Suddenly, he pulled away from me and his smile faded.

"Julia…there's something that I have to tell you. Something that's important to our relationship…the reasons why I haven't been as close as I used to…" With his words came a sorrowful expression that made me question him.

"What are you saying?" I asked as he looked into my eyes.

"It's just that…" Suddenly, he was interrupted by the loud speaker.

"Would Miss Julia Chang please report to your pre-match location. The fight is about to begin."

"Peter, we can talk about this later okay?" I said as I turned to walk away. As I turned around, a tear fell from my eye. I think I knew what he was going to tell me, and it broke my heart to know that this was possible.

A few minutes later, I walked out into the sandy arena. It was inside of a giant cage and the floor was covered with sand. I stepped out once I heard my cue, the song Pump It by Black Eyed Peas. In the audience, I noticed Peter take a seat next to King. At least he still supported me. I felt reassured that he was sitting there in the audience, watching me compete.

Once I finished acknowledging all of my fans, I heard a new song blast through the speakers. I recognized it as Paper Desert by In The Nursery. It had a Middle Eastern vibe to it. I liked it actually, but I got serious once saw who my opponent was. It was the new woman named Jamila. Peter told me about his encounter with her, and so far, she seemed like cold person. I planned to gain back my reforestation data and I wasn't about to lose to her.

I'd been there since The King of Iron Fist Tournament 3 and I wasn't about to be beaten by a newcomer. Not much was known about Jamila, except for the fact that she was a professional Bounty Hunter. I didn't really have much time to do my research and it didn't help that most of Jamila's files were empty. I didn't even know her fighting style; the slip of paper just said 'various'.

Jamila walked forward to me and looked me up and down. I wasn't too comfortable with her doing that but I didn't respond. Instead, I offered her my hand to shake. I was slightly embarrassed when she didn't grab my hand in return. The crowd yelled various boo's to her as she looked around. She didn't seem to care to much. She just seemed intent on fighting.

"Good luck." I said in a peaceful manner as she put on her red leather gloves.

"Likewise." She replied. Her callous attitude made me slightly nervous, but I knew better. That was what she wanted. She wanted to intimidate me, make me nervous to the point where I couldn't win the fight. I couldn't let this happen.

The referee stood back after explaining the rules to us and raised the red flag into the air. I watched as in slow motion, he let the flag fall to the ground.

"FIGHT!"

Jamila was the first to attack. She came at me with a swift punch, but I was quick enough to block it. I retaliated with my Triple Spin Kick attack, hitting her with the first two. Once I attempted the third kick, she grabbed hold of my leg and knocked me over onto the floor.

I put my hands out in front of me and let the ground meet them. Jamila still held my leg and what she did next really hurt. She began to twist my leg, making me cry out in pain. Instead of sitting there and letting her continue, I kicked her ankle…HARD. She let out a yelp and staggered backwards.

"You're better than the previous fighters I've encountered." She said. In a way, I felt flattered, but I had to focus on the task at hand: defeating her. I jumped to my feet and rubbed my leg, my hand running down my short denim skirt and onto my soft skin. Snapping back to reality, I ran at her with my hand balled into a fist. It connected with her stomach, but she grabbed hold of my arm before I could get away from her.

'She's fast!' I thought as she flipped me over her shoulder. Rolling underneath her legs, I tripped her. Once she fell to the ground, I jumped high into the air and attempted to stomp on her. Just as I expected, she rolled out of the way and attacked me with a high kick. I blocked it and thrust my open palm into her chest, sending her flying back into the cage wall. The fans cheered and pushed her back towards me.

"Hi-YAH!" I yelled as I spun around with a kick to her face. Unexpectedly, she grabbed my leg and threw me into the cage wall. Before I knew it, her foot found its way to my stomach. The last thing I saw before passing out was her green pendant. It seemed to be glowing. At least before I lost, I managed to see something beautiful…

Through the Eyes of Peter

I looked on at her beautiful frame as she slept. Jamila really didn't show any mercy. But then again, how would I know for sure if she did or not? I guess I would never know for sure.

Julia looked so peaceful as she slept, but her peace was soon ended. She opened her eyes and looked into mine.

"P…Peter?" she said as her vision began to return to normal.

"Hi…Julia." I managed to say. "I'm glad you're okay."

"Are you really?" she replied.

"Of…course I am, why wouldn't I be?" I asked.

"Before the fight, you had to tell me something…something important. It was about our relationship…"

"We can talk about that later, Julia. Right now, it's important that you-"

"You want to break up with me…" she said.

Tears rose into her eyes and I found that I couldn't say anything to deny what was truth.

"I'm sorry Julia…my feelings…they changed. I still love you and always will, but something's different, and I think I need to explore it on my own." I said, immediately regretting it.

"It's okay…I understand Peter…"

I looked down at the blankets, and I wished that I could be wrapped in them as she was. I felt like I needed comfort, a hug even and there was nobody there to give it…

That's when Hwoarang walked in.

"Hey Pete. I came to see Julia." I looked in his hands and saw roses; at least two dozen of them.

Turning back to Julia, I smiled scornfully and said, "Look's like you won't have to be alone anymore…"

"Peter…" she said as I walked away. I put a hand on Hwoarang's shoulder and smiled slightly.

"Take care of her 'Rang…" Just then, I left to do battle with my first opponent…Bryan Fury.

Through the Eyes of King

"It's okay Peter…really. You did what you had to." Comforting Peter was never an easy task, but now I found out just how hard it truly was. He broke up with Julia, but he refused to tell me why.

"Thanks King…I really appreciate it." He replied.

"We can talk later. Right now…just go kick some tail." I reassured him as he smiled up at me. I watched as he walked away and into the center of the garden. The referees closed the steel gates as soon as he walked in. He faced Bryan Fury with a stern look on his face, completely unafraid. It was then that I realized how truly proud I was of my son.

Bryan's music began to blare over the speakers and the fans began to whistle and scream for their favorite fighter. It made me proud to hear that most of them were rooting for Peter. I listened to the lyrics of Dragula by Rob Zombie as Bryan acknowledged his fanbase.

_Dead I am the one, exterminating son_

Slipping through the trees,

Strangling the breeze

Dig through the ditches and burn through the witches

And slam in the back of my

DRAGULA!

Bryan said something to Peter; probably something vulgar because he then shook his head in disgust as Bryan started laughing. That's when Peter's theme began to play throughout the garden.

_Judge Dredd, found dead_

Face down in Snoopy's bed.

Making friends, robbing them

X-Men taught him everything

Anybody with a heart votes love,

It's absurd…

The Whitewash Mix of Absurd by Fluke began to play as Peter waved to his fans as well. After a few seconds, both of them got into their respective stances and got ready to duel.

As soon as the announcer yelled for them to fight, Peter jumped backwards, probably anticipating the next move. Bryan spun around with a kick, but Peter was already out of reach. Sadistically, Bryan continued to laugh as he ran forward and punched Peter in the face. I groaned for him as he turned his head with the punch to avoid as much pain as possible.

"Roll with the blows Pete, keep it up. You can win this." I said to myself aloud. Peter jumped forward with a hop kick and sent Bryan backwards. Once he landed, Peter spun around and spin kicked Bryan to the floor. My facial expression quickly moved from one of excitement, to one of disgust as Bryan yelled out "MORE!" when Peter punched him in the face.

Bryan almost seemed to be enjoying the pain that Peter was giving him and it made me afraid that Peter would soon be hurt. I was right. Bryan grabbed Peter's arm and spun him around, making his back come against his stomach. I watched as Peter struggled to move, Bryan licking his ear in an evil manner.

"Peter!" I yelled out as Bryan tossed his forward and kicked him in the backside. Peter fell to the floor and gasped for air, since Bryan had been choking him. Bryan stood still and laughed at him as he stood on his feet again. Suddenly, Bryan moved forward and punched Peter in the face with both fists, before kicking his shin with his right leg.

Peter jumped back and returned to his defensive stance. He was losing this fight and I could tell that he was scared. I could almost smell it. I was surprised when Peter actually took the initiative and drop kicked his opponent to the ground. Once on the ground, he grabbed Bryan and put him into an arm bar. I became excited seeing as how that was one of the moves that I had taught him earlier on.

Bryan screamed out in pain as Peter applied as much pressure as he could. Showing mercy, Peter let him go and instead rammed his elbow into his chest. The onlookers groaned as if they could feel the pain.

Peter stood up on his feet only to be tripped by Bryan. Hoping back to their feet, Peter and Bryan traded blows for awhile until Peter could no longer take it. He jumped back and got ready to make his next move.

"Come on Pete, think of anger. Think of Sylvia for god's sake, just get angry!" I yelled out. Almost as if he heard me, Peter ran forward and tackled Bryan to the floor, punching him fiercely in the face numerous times. Bryan kicked Peter off of him and threw a random punch to Peter's side. Acting quickly, Peter grabbed his arm and twisted it as fast as he could, sending Bryan to the floor.

From there, Peter picked Bryan up and performed a Tombstone Piledriver on him. As soon as Bryan hit the floor, he yelled out in pain as we heard a metallic sound snap. It was then that I realized that Bryan was half human, half cyborg. Peter rolled away and dropped back into his stance, waiting for Bryan to rise to his feet again.

He never did. Peter had won the battle! My son had done it! I couldn't have been more proud of him. One thing I did notice is that he didn't look too happy when the cameras where taking his pictures. Maybe he was in too much pain, but I knew that the pain was coming from his emotions. There's something that he's not telling me, and I'm bound to find out what that is eventually…


	13. The Search For Tiffanie

Chapter 13: The Search For Tiffanie

Through the Eyes of Mina

Jamie kissed me goodbye as me and Peter left down the hallway. We were going to confront Heihachi and see if he knew anything about Tiffanie's whereabouts.

"Thanks again Mina, for coming along with me to look for her." Peter said.

I smiled and nodded to him, saying, "Just make sure you don't tell that witch Sylvia about any of this. She might kill us if she gets the chance!"

"I wouldn't worry too much about her." He said.

We walked into the elevator and pressed the button to go to the main floor. We were going to go ask Heihachi what he knew. Peter seemed quite anxious as the elevator went down. I tried to release the tension by tying my hair into a bun, waiting for him to say something.

"You know Mina…"

"Yes?" I asked.

"I really think you and I make a good team. I just wanted to thank you again for being there for me. You're like my friend Keenan, only in female form."

"Who's Keenan?" I asked as the elevator came to a halt. Peter smiled as he thought about the man. Apparently, they shared a good relationship.

"He's my buddy from back in the States. He saved my life and ever since then, we've been like brothers."

"Oh really? How did he save your life?" I asked, wondering what could have happened that he would need someone to save him.

"Umm…I don't think I'm ready to talk about that just yet. Maybe someday. Only King knows about that horrible time in my life…" he replied to me, making me wonder just what could have been that bad that he wouldn't want to tell me.

The elevator opened and we stepped out, making our way towards Heihachi's office. Once we stepped inside, we looked at each other. We both could feel the evil vibes coming from the man.

A man stepped forward from behind the counter and looked at Peter.

"Can I help you?" the man said.

"Hey Dean. I was just wondering if we could talk to Mr. Mishima. We're having some trouble." Peter responded. I smiled at the man as he looked at me. Any funny ideas on his part would result in a most serious beat down.

"Well I'm sorry but Heihachi Mishima is quite busy at the moment. Is there perhaps another time that the two of you could stop on by?" The man named Dean said.

"Mr. Earwicker, let them in. I happen to have some time right about now to see them." We heard Heihachi say. Peter and I followed Dean Earwicker to see Heihachi. Before we got there, Peter turned to me and said something.

"Be careful." He told me. I nodded in agreement as we walked into Heihachi's throne room. It was a large, dark room that caused me to cringe in slight fear. Peter led the way as we walked into the large room, Dean staying behind us and motioning for us to enter. As soon as I walked in, I could his eyes peering into the back of my body.

I turned around in disgust and said to him, "Do you like what you see?"

He stuttered a bit before replying, "Ma'am, I wasn't-"

"Good because it's not for sale." I told him before turning back around to follow Peter. Once I turned, I saw Peter laughing slightly. I couldn't help it, I started laughing along with him as well. We suddenly got serious when all the doors to the room closed violently, making the both of us jump slightly.

"Peter?" I said as he looked around the room.

"Something's wrong…" he whispered as he looked to me.

Suddenly, five men jumped out of the shadows and assumed several different fighting stances. Peter and I dropped into our stances as we stood back to back, turning around slowly to keep an eye on each of the men.

"Meet the T.F.S." Heihachi said from across the room.

"T.F.S.?" I asked Peter before he turned to answer me.

"Tekken Force Soldiers." He answered. As soon as Peter finished answering me, the soldiers charged at us. I dodged a punch and traded one of my own. We couldn't see the men's faces as they were all wearing biker helmets. Peter spun around my back and kicked one of the men in the face. I pushed one man away from me and twirled in circles, ending the move with a firm spinning kick to his face.

"That was my famous 1, 2 Step move!" I yelled as the man fell unconscious. My little soliloquy cost me, for I felt a fist come down on the back of my head. Peter yelled out my name, but not before knocking the guy out for me.

"Mina! Are you okay!" Peter asked as he kicked his way through the other three. I nodded as I rose to my feet, flipping one of the other men over my shoulder with a throw. Peter back handed one of the last two guys and I used my elbow to K.O. the other. Smiling at each other, we looked into each other's eyes and became silent. Suddenly, I heard a sound.

"Peter! Look out!" I yelled before I grabbed his hands and cart wheeled over his body, knocking out the attacker that had his eyes set on my friend. And just like that, it was over.

"Thanks…" Peter said as he embraced me in a hug. I smiled as I hugged him back, totally forgetting that Heihachi was still there watching us. We remembered that he was there once we heard the clapping.

"Congratulations. You have earned yourselves an appointment." He told us as he finished his clapping.

"You know, life isn't an action movie." I said to Heihachi.

"Nice to see you too." Peter said harshly.

"My boy, we used to be friends. Why the sudden hatred?" Heihachi asked Peter.

"I grew up and realized what you were all about." Peter responded. The two looked at each other with anger and that's when I felt it was necessary to me to step in.

"We came here for a reason Mr. Mishima." I said.

"Ah yes. Kim Seung Mina I presume? The fighter that utilizes her dancing techniques along with her Tae Kwon Do skills."

I nodded and motioned for Peter to speak. Without even hesitating, Peter began to speak.

"I'm looking for a friend. Her name is Tiffanie Jean-Louis. Do you have anything at all to do with her kidnapping?" he said in a more gentle tone.

"Hmmm…she WAS supposed to be a fighter in this tournament this year, but she never showed up. Sorry I couldn't help you."

"That's it? So what now? We just-" I began but was interrupted.

"It's okay Mina. The man obviously doesn't know anything about her. Let's not take anymore of his precious time." Peter said as he pulled me by the wrist and walked out of the throne room.

As soon as we stepped out, I stopped and looked at Peter.

"How do you know he's telling the truth?" I asked him.

"That man is a horrible liar. He didn't even smile when he spoke to us. He's telling the truth." He replied.

"So now what?" I asked as we left the office and entered the main lobby yet again.

"Now, we wait until whoever has her shows their hand. Then we make the play from there." He replied.

Just then, Jamila walked out of the nearby elevator and looked at the floor. She looked as if she was searching for something. I was just about to ask her if she needed any help when suddenly, Peter pulled something out of his pocket. It was a card with her picture on it, and I assumed that that was what she was looking for.

"Hi Jamila!" Peter said joyfully. "Looking for this? I found it on the floor after you left the other day."

"It's pronounced 'Jamilia' with an 'ia' at the end. Get it straight." She responded as she took the card out of his hand and walked away.

"Oh, okay…h-have a nice day!" Peter said. There might as well have been a tumbleweed blown into the hallway, for Jamila was gone just as quick as she arrived.

"It's okay, Peter…maybe next time, she'll be nice to you." I said, trying desperately to reassure him. Yes, maybe someday the world would see him for the wonderful young man he was.


	14. Understanding The Past

Chapter 14: Understanding The Past

Through the Eyes of Sylvia

"Congratulations Sylvia! You just defeated Paul Phoenix with your 'Burning Phoenix' style. No pun intended! What do you plan to do from here?" the reporter asked me. I untied the bun in my hair and let my crimson and black hair fall behind my shoulders.

"I just wanna beat Jr.'s-" I was suddenly interrupted by the man.

"You mean Peter?" he asked. Now he was starting to annoy me.

"Umm, did I FINISH! And anyways, who else is a junior in this tournament, smart one?" After I said that, the reporter seemed to be angry, as he turned around and left to interview Paul Phoenix on his defeat.

"Better recognize…" I said as he left with his crew.

Walking away through the cathedral doors, I smirked to myself. I seemed to be doing quite well in this tournament. I was definitely underestimated from the start. Nobody thought I'd make it this far. Surprisingly, Peter pulled off another victory against Wang Jinrei. What an old fart, that Jinrei character. He even said that I was hot! I mean, this is truth but for real, I don't wanna hear that from someone like him. Wang…heheheh. Who names their kid Wang? Retards obviously. ANYways…

--

"Ah yes…" I said as the warm water hit my body. I let my dark hair flow into the water, making it become one as I rubbed the soap against my belly. Seeing the belly button ring in my stomach, I thought back to a moment long ago. Well…not that long ago. It was in high school back in New York. I came in sporting the new ring and Peter didn't know about it…

"_Umm…Sylvia?"_ _Peter said._

"_What do you want, douche bag?" I replied. _

"_I didn't know you got your button pierced…"_

_I turned around and leaned back against the table, showing him a better view of the silver ring I had in my belly button. _

"_Isn't it the hottest thing you've ever seen?" I asked._

"_Well, if you like setting off metal detectors…" he replied._

"_Oh fuck off!"__ I yelled as I took my things and left the area._

Yeah, I remember that day. Hmm…it was a LITTLE funny what he said though. I tried not to laugh, but I think he may have heard me as I walked away.

After I finished rinsing myself off, I turned off the shower and wrapped the black towel around my chest and waist. Once I finished drying off, I laid down on my bed completely nude, just the way I liked it when I was alone. I turned off the lights and closed my eyes.

…

"Ugh! I can't sleep!" I yelled as I flicked the light back on. Hmm…I know what might help. Peter's letter to me from back in high school. I reached over to my desk drawer and pulled out the folded piece of paper. After I unfolded it, I began to read it…

_Dear Sylvia,_

_I know that this may be weird, but please just hear me out. You've been through a lot of crap throughout your life haven't you? Just being adopted is enough reason to be upset. I had a terrible life also. As much as you may hate me, I don't know why, but I'm just drawn to you. I just feel like you are calling out for someone to help you. I can be that person if you want. I know that this REALLY sounds weird coming from me, but I honestly feel connected to you in a way. I know you want me to just leave you alone, but you see I can't. I'm not willing to write you off, or give up on you just yet. You deserve to have a friend that will understand your pain and accept you for it. I would like to be a friend if only you would let me. I didn't want to say any of this to you in person, because I know it would make you feel uncomfortable. It's just that, I see so much of myself in you. You are everything that I always wanted to be, but couldn't. I always wanted to let my rage out, like you. I have to hold it all in so that nobody else will get hurt. I feel that you and I can connect on so many different levels. You may believe that I'm annoying as hell because I laugh a lot, and always appear happy. Believe me, I'm nothing of the sort inside. I have to put the mask on for everybody, I think you know what I'm talking about. I just wanted to let you know that you can take that mask off around me, I'm not going to tell anybody anything. It could be just between us. Yes, I do want to take the time out to get to know you, I don't care what happened in your past. If you want, I'll tell you everything about me first. I think that together we can pull off a strong relationship. If you decline this friendship, I won't hate you. But I want you to know that if you ever need help, or anybody to talk to, I'll be there to help. I want to be able to protect you from whatever pains you have. Please write back to me and tell me what you think. Be honest, nobody is going to read it but me ok? Just remember that I'm here. Please don't feel alone any more._

_Peter C._

Damn, that was deep. I still remember the day he gave it to me. Man, how it must've sucked to be him that day…

"_Sylvia?" Peter said._

"_What do you want, worm." I replied. _

"_Ummm__…I just wanted to give you something."_

"_No! If you think buying me some more earrings will make me like you, you're sorely mistaken." I replied._

"_No, it's nothing like that. It's just something I was up all night writing for you. I want you to read it."_

"_Too bad, if it's poetry, I wouldn't read your shit even if my life depended on it." I replied coldly._

"_Oh…well it's not a poem, it's just a letter on how I feel about you. If you want…you could write one for me after you read this one…" he said. Ugh, I hate him! He always sounds so innocent, with those damn puppy eyes and all. He just wants to avoid another ass kicking._

"_I'm NOT reading it!"_

"_Umm…I'll just leave it here by your bag. You can throw it out if you want."_

"_I plan to." I said to him. As he walked away in his trench coat and all, I couldn't help but feel regret for him. But I had a reputation to keep, and if being the Gothic Ice Princess of __Long Island_ _meant treating him this way, then that's what it would have to take._

"_I hate that kid so much!" I yelled out loud for him to hear as he walked away. He didn't even look back as he walked off, and THAT really pissed me off to the first degree. A few minutes later, the bell rang to get to class._

"_Shit!" I yelled as I ran to my bag and picked it up, running towards my classroom. _

_After a particularly 'lovely' day in school, I returned to the cafeteria to see something posted on the walls. Everybody was reading it and laughing. I don't know what it was, but I wanted in on the joke._

"_Outta__ the way!__ I wanna see this." I said as I pushed the preps out of the way. The first line of the announcement read, "Dear Sylvia…"_

"_Oh my god…" I said as I realized what it was. It was that DAMN letter that Peter gave to me, I totally forgot it on the table earlier! Then I saw him. It was like some cheesy slow-motion moment. He gave me a look of hatred as he left the cafeteria. Everybody, and I mean EVERYBODY was laughing at him. I never felt so horrible in all my life…_

Yeah…that day must've sucked for him. He probably went home and cut himself, because he didn't show up to school for the next week. Poor guy…his letter actually kind of touched me, but I didn't let anyone else know that. I tracked down the original letter and kept it for myself. Whenever I couldn't sleep, this helped. After folding the letter back up, I put it away again and rolled underneath the covers. I had a feeling that I would sleep well tonight.

Through The Eyes of Jamila

I walked out and felt the night air caress my form. Earlier today, I thought it was funny how Peter pronounced my name. Me being twenty two years old, I laughed at his slight immaturity.

As I removed my robe, I looked out over the lit pool area and caught sight of him. With a sigh, I walked forward, getting ready to talk to him for the first time since I met him. He was pacing back and forth by the edge of the pool. Shockingly, he tripped over a beach chair and fell into the deep end, hitting his head on the way down.

"Ouch…" I said as I folded my arms across my chest and waited for him to come back up.

"Something's wrong…" I whispered. "He's been under for too long…" Leaping into action, I ran to the deep end and dived in after the young kid. Swimming my way to the bottom, I picked up his lifeless body and began to swim back up to the surface. Once I reached the top, I tossed his body up onto the pavement and hopped out of the cold water to help him.

His eyes were shut and he didn't move one bit.

"Peter!" I yelled as I began administering CPR. At least a minute went by and he wasn't moving yet.

"Wake up!" I yelled as I thrust my palms against his chest. As soon as I finished my statement, Peter coughed hard, shooting water out of his mouth and gasping for air. I smiled as I patted his back.

"Welcome back to the world of the living." I said with a smile. Peter looked around, regaining his full consciousness. He seemed scared to see me, but grateful that I saved his life.

I sat him down on the beach chair nearby, thereafter taking the chair opposite him.

"You are going to be alright." I said with comfort in my voice, a feature that normally wasn't present.

I noticed that after a few more seconds, he wrapped his arms around himself and began shivering.

"Hold on a sec." I said as I walked back over to where I dropped my robe and picked it up.

"Maybe this will warm you up." I said as I carefully wrapped it around his body. He smiled at me while shivering and said, "Thanks…"

A few minutes later…

"You know, you're not that bad after all." I told him.

"Yeah I know, neither are you." He said confidently. I shot him a look of displeasure and he quickly changed the subject.

"So…I can't believe it was YOU who saved me. I didn't even think you liked me." He said. I laughed scornfully and replied to him.

"There's a lot of things you don't know about me."

"Well I hope our newfound friendship lasts long enough to let me hear those things."

"Friendship?" I asked. He looked in my direction and nodded after about three seconds.

"Y-yeah…I mean, we ARE friends now…right?" he said sheepishly. I had to laugh inside. He was just too innocent for his own good. The idea of friendship was foreign to me. I never really had the time to have friends, but I guess it wouldn't be THAT bad…would it?

"Yes, I assume you are correct." I said. He smiled at me and offered me his hand.

"Cool. Friends then." He said. For awhile, I stared at his hand, wondering if I should accept his friendship or not. He began to look nervous and embarrassed, and I couldn't tell if he was sweating, or if that was that pool water dripping off his face.

Thinking about it, I decided to accept.

"Friends." I said as I accepted his hand and shook it firmly. We laughed quietly together as we turned our attention to the night sky above. The stars looked so beautiful tonight.

"You know…where I come from, the sky is much more beautiful…" I said after a few minutes. I didn't hear a response, I just heard light snoring.

'Are you serious?' I thought as I looked over at him. All that water and rescuing must have tired him out. Poor kid…he never seems to catch a break. Walking back over to him, I put my extra towel over him to keep him warm before I left to go into the hotel.


	15. Out Of The Closet

Chapter 15: Out of the Closet

Through the Eyes of Julia

"Julia, is something wrong?" Hwoarang said to me as I picked at my spaghetti. All I could think about was what Peter said to me. I felt like he was asking for my help and I didn't offer any. He's too scared to deal with any of this on his own. Was it another woman in his heart?

Or worse…

He said things were changing…could he have meant…a man? No, that would never happen. Peter's not like that, I know him too well. We spent all that time looking for King and we grew closer together. It's just hard to believe that it'd come to this…

_You don't know him anymore…_

_Anything is possible…_

_He never loved you…_

"Stop…" I muttered.

"Stop what?" I heard Hwoarang reply.

"Oh, nothing. I'm just thinking is all. This food is really delicious." I said delightfully, trying to change the subject.

"But…you've barely touched your plate…" Hwoarang said. I smirked inwardly, because I knew he was right. He may have been arrogant at times but that doesn't mean that he wasn't still able to have some brains.

"It's Peter…isn't it. You still love him…" he said. I looked up to him and smiled.

"It's nothing. I'm willing to give you the same chance I gave Peter. Just please don't ruin it, I don't think I can handle another break up." I said.

What the hell was I talking about? I was a smart girl, and a strong one at that. Another break up wouldn't hurt me one bit, it was just something that I was telling myself to get over Peter. When I said another break up, I meant another chance with Peter. I couldn't handle another break up, meaning me losing his friendship for good. So maybe I'd better not push it. I'd leave him alone and let him have his space. But eventually, we'd have to talk again.

_He never ended the friendship…_

With a sigh, I looked up and smiled at my new boyfriend.

"Come on Hwoarang, let's eat this stuff before it gets cold, okay?"

Through the Eyes of Jamie

I stood by Peter's door, waiting for him to arrive. I felt like I'd been waiting here forever, but truth be told, I was only there for at least five minutes. I couldn't stood thinking about the way I'd treated him earlier. I just listened to a pretty face and took out my suspicions on Peter.

"Jaime?" I heard a voice say. I turned to the right and saw him. He must've been outside, because he was all wet.

"Rain's a killer huh?" I said, trying to lighten the atmosphere.

"Oh? Oh you mean this." He said as he motioned towards his wet clothes. I could only nod in agreement. "It's not raining tonight." He said to me. I gave him a puzzled look and smiled.

"So…why are you…?"

"Long story and too little time to tell." He said as he began unlocking his door. I stood my ground, not budging from his door one bit. I knew Peter, and I knew he'd try to avoid the subject.

"You know, Jaime…" he began. I wouldn't let him continue though.

"I'm sorry…" I said abruptly. Peter stepped away from the door and looked at me as if in shock. Then, he looked around, making sure no one was in sight. He stepped forward and motioned for me to follow him. I stepped out of the way of his door and allowed him to get in. As he unlocked the door, I looked at his features. So sullen…so sad. The worst part of all of it was that he wasn't trying to look sad, he was just naturally this way.

Opening the door, he motioned for me to go on ahead and into the room. I did so, and quickly, for I wanted to get this over with. I kept it in mind to be really sensitive to Peter's needs. After all, he was my friend.

"Is it okay if I sit?" I asked as I motioned towards the chairs in the mini kitchen.

"Sure, you didn't have to ask." Peter replied, making his way to the chair across from me. Once he sat, we looked into each other's eyes. This may sound like some cheesy stuff, but it felt like we were sizing each other up, seeing how much of a threat we were to each other.

"So…" I said, finally breaking the silence. Peter looked down at the table and folded his arms over one another.

"I'm sorry if you thought I was hitting on Mina, I really just meant to get some advice…" he said to me.

"I totally understand that bro. I was just pissed because of what that girl Sylvia told me." I said.

"What exactly did she tell you?" he asked me. I rolled my eyes and laughed slightly.

"I don't know why I believed her…but she told me that she saw the two of you making out in the hallway…and when I walked in, things didn't exactly help the situation…" I said, hoping not to offend him.

"I understand that. If I were you and a beautiful girl told me that, I might just have to believe her too." Peter ran his right hand through his hair as he said that. I looked up at his unique hair style and I just had to ask.

"Bro…what made you dye the top of your hair white?" I said, in a joking kind of manner.

He touched his gelled hair and smiled. "I don't really know…it's something that my father liked to do when I came home, as a joke. You see, he would take shaving cream and put it on my head when I was little. Since he's not around anymore, I think it kind of reminds me of him. It's dumb, I know."

I gave him a questioning look as I said, "Nah man, it's not dumb. It's deep."

"Hmm, it's funny that you say that. Everybody but King seems to think I'm two dimensional." He replied.

"See, that's gotta stop bro." I said in a firm tone.

"What's gotta stop?"

"You always put yourself down man. You've got people who care about you here, and I'm one of them. You're like the little brother I never had. I mean c'mon, if you weren't around, who else would I be teaching how to skate?" I said comically. That earned a chuckle from Peter. I smiled as I stood up and offered him my hand.

Looking at it for a second, Peter seemed to be considering something. Then with slight hesitation, he took it and we did a brief 'man hug'.

"Thanks Jaime." He said as he pulled away. I smiled and replied, "No problem, it's what I'm here for!"

"To tell you the truth…I've always admired you and Mina. You guys have it so good, and you are truly a great friend Jaime…thanks again. I hope one day, I can return the favor." Peter said.

Through the Eyes of Peter

"I'll see you later Jaime." I said as he left the room. Once I closed the door, I walked over to my bed and laid down on it. All I could think about was Sylvia. For some reason, I still felt connected to her in a way, despite all that she put me through. I remember the first time we fought. She was angry and I tried to help, but she just took her anger out on me…

_"I can't BELIEVE this!" she yelled as I walked over to her._

_"Everything okay Sylvia?" I asked._

_"Oh, screw you Peter! You're the LAST person I wanted to see right now." She replied._

_Trying not to appear offended, I looked at her and asked her what she was so angry about. _

_"You know what Peter? I don't see where you get off!"_

_"What do you mean?" I asked._

_"You think you're all fancy and junk just because you made it into the King of Iron Fist Tournament 3, huh? Well, news flash! I'm a much better fighter than you'll ever be!" she yelled._

_"Well…I'm sorry, I never meant to be chosen. Maybe you should've tried harder to be noticed." I said a little harshly as I turned around and began to walk away. I felt her hand grab onto my wrist, spinning me back around to face her._

_"What did you just say?" she asked in a calm, yet angry tone._

_Finally standing up for myself, I replied, "You heard me."_

_"Alright Mr. Big Shot Fighter, let's see who really is the better of the two." She said as she let go of me and dropped into her stance. As she stood still, I noticed how beautiful she looked when in her fighting state. So deadly, yet so fragile. _

_"I don't want to fight a girl." I said._

_"What's the matter? Not good enough for you? You know, there are girls in the Iron Fist Tournament so what are you gonna do when you have to face them, huh? Run away and cry to your mommy?" she told me._

_That did it. _

_"Fine then." I said as I assumed my stance as well. A few of our friends came by and begged for us to calm down, but she already crossed the line. _

_Surprising me, she launched her leg into my face. I stumbled backwards, only to see her come at me again with open palm attacks. After she hit me in the stomach, she hit me in the face again and spun around with a kick to my crotch. _

_"Oh!" I yelled as I stood away from her. I looked up to see her back in her stance, smiling at me wickedly. _

_'My turn' I thought as I moved forward to attack. Jumping up in the air, I kicked with one leg first, then the other. She blocked both kicks, but was unable to avoid me hitting her in the stomach with another one. Spinning around, I attempted a sweep kick, but she just jumped over it and landed on my hip. I yelled out in pain as she performed a back flip to get off of me. _

_Standing up, I spun around and thrust both fists into her chest; then I kicked her in the shin. As if she didn't feel the pain, she immediately grabbed hold of my face and blew a kiss at it. I was stunned when she let go at spun around, kicking me across the face rudely. Once I hit the floor, I contemplated getting back up. But I liked her, and I wanted her to be happy. So I faked defeat and pretended to pass out._

_"I told you I was the better fighter…"_

_told you I was the better fighter…_

_you I was the better fighter…_

_I was the better fighter…_

_Was the better fighter…_

_The better fighter…_

_Better fighter…_

_Fighter…_

Her words echoed through my mind one word at a time until I realized that she was truly a spirited fighter. But I had let her win, didn't I? Heh, what about that time when she actually tried to be nice to me…

_I sat alone at the lunch table, wondering when my friend Tiffanie was going to show up. Suddenly, Sylvia appeared and said something to me._

_"Tiff's absent today." She said. I frowned and nodded. _

_…_

_"But since you look so pathetic by yourself, I'll sit with you until the period is over." She said, sitting down across from me._

_Once she sat down, she glared into my eyes with hers, a small but devious smile forming on her lips._

_"Oh what do you want? Are you going to prank me again?" I asked in a sad voice._

_"Wow, you even SOUND pathetic today. I'll make sure Tiffanie is never absent again." She said as she leaned back against the chair and crossed her legs. _

_"Can I ask you a question?" I said._

_"Ask away Petey boy." She replied, folding her hands up behind her head. _

_"Why are you always so mean to me?" I said in a sheepish manner._

_"Hmm…" she thought to herself while placing her right index finger on her lower lip._

_"Don't know! But it's sure as hell fun!" she replied cheerfully. _

_I looked down, secretly beginning to get disgusted. I was unwrapping a peanut butter and jelly sandwich when I suddenly put it back down on the napkin. Sylvia looked down at it and smirked at me._

_"You gonna eat that?" she asked._

_"Well…I was actually going to feed it to the birds or something." I said, not wanting to set myself up for another dis. _

_"No need, hungry Asian right here!" she said happily as she took it and began to unwrap it. _

_I couldn't help it, I had to laugh._

_"What's so funny?" she asked as she finished swallowing her first bite._

_"Did you do something to this sandwich! Cuz if you did, oh there's gonna be hell to pay!"_

_"Not if I poisoned it…" I said, grinning at her._

_Sylvia stopped chewing and looked at me wide-eyed._

_…_

_"It was just a joke, Sylvia. Jeez I would think for someone who's so professional at dissing, you would know a joke when you heard one." I said with a smile on my face._

_Sylvia rolled her eyes and continued to eat her food. _

_"Got something to drink in that treasure chest of yours?" she asked._

_I reached inside and pulled out a Peach Snapple, tossing it to her like I would an animal. With expert skill, she caught it and popped it open. _

_"You know," she began as she took a sip, "you're not as bad as everyone thinks you are."_

_"Everyone? Or just you?" I said with a smile that offered challenge._

_She stopped drinking and rolled her eyes again, taking another sip afterwards. _

_"…thanks…" I said._

_Once she stopped drinking she looked up and said, "For what?"_

_"I know that wasn't easy for you to say…but you did it anyways." I replied._

_She chugged down the rest of the Snapple before saying, "Don't take it to heart. I'm only being nice because there's no one around to impress." With that, she offered a cute wink._

_"Oh well in THAT case...you're not as bad as everyone thinks you are either." I said._

_"People are talking beef about me? Dish out them names kid!" She said while slamming her fists into the table. I laughed quietly while looking at her._

_"I'm serious! Them people better watch their backs before I break 'em!" she said. _

_"Don't worry, I think they know better."_

_Suddenly the bell rang and I looked at the clock. _

_"Well…" I said, not knowing what else to say to suffice for a goodbye. Sylvia stood up and took my trash for me, throwing it out in the can behind her. Turning back to me, she tossed her hair over her shoulder and smiled._

_"See ya!" she said as she walked away and towards her class. _

I snapped back to reality when I heard the door being unlocked. It was King…and I was finally ready to tell him my secret.

"Hey Pete!" King said happily as he tossed his keys on the counter and walked over to his bed. Once he sat down, I sat up and watched as he pulled off his shoes and began to massage his feet.

"Man, all that walking really hurts!" he said.

"I'm ready…" I interrupted.

King stopped everything he was doing and looked up to me with a puzzled look.

"Ready…for what?" he asked.

"I'm ready to tell you what's been bothering me lately…my secret…"


	16. The Reaction

Chapter 16: The Reaction

Through The Eyes of King

"I'm ready to tell you what's been bothering me lately…my secret…" he said to me. I folded my legs underneath me as I leaned forward to hear what he was going to say.

"Okay Pete, I'm listening. What is it?" I asked with genuine concern and interest.

"This isn't easy for me to say…" he began. Suddenly, I found that he resorted back to silence, as if he was considering not telling me anymore.

"You can tell me anything Peter, I'm not going to judge you. You know that…right…?" I said.

Peter looked at me and nodded slowly, just before looking back down into his lap. I got up and sat on the bed next to him, hoping he'd feel more comfortable with me there. My guess turned out to be right, for he looked over at me and gave a brief smile. On the same level, I could tell that he felt a little weird about something, but I didn't know what.

"You don't have to hide anything from me…okay?" I said. After that, I put my hand on his shoulder and got an unexpected reaction from him. He closed his eyes and shuddered, bringing his hand up to rub his right temple. Slowly, I took my hand off of his shoulder and waited for him to speak.

"King…I…I like you…" he managed to say before he put his hand over his mouth as if saying 'Why did I say that?'

Shock filled my head, and I could feel my body getting colder. I could smell my own sweat as he looked away.

"You…like me? As in romantically?" I said. Peter could only nod, and I noticed that his cheeks were redder than blood. He too was sweating, I could both see and smell it.

"I see…" I managed to say. Peter swallowed loudly before looking back over slowly at me. His eyes stayed at my chest, not even daring to make eye contact with me.

"Is that why you broke up with Julia?" I asked. Once again, all he could do was nod. I looked him up and down slowly. I wanted so badly to comfort him, but for once…I didn't know how. I didn't want to touch him because I think he would feel uncomfortable, but I didn't know what to do.

"Peter…I don't know what to say…" I said, kicking myself mentally right after I said it.

Peter looked down and got up, beginning to walk away and out from the room. I didn't want him to leave, so I did the only thing I could do…stop him from leaving. I reached out and grabbed his wrist, halting him dead in his tracks. He spun around with tears in his eyes. It looked almost as if he thought I betrayed his trust. Obviously, I had said the wrong thing. So I decided that it was time for a different approach…I had to tell him how I really felt about this.

"I meant that…I'm flattered Pete, I really am."

He looked at me with a look of shock, his mouth opening ever so slightly. He seemed to acknowledge the fact that it was hard for me to respond honestly.

"Nobody has ever loved me, not even my parents…that's why I ended up in the original King's orphanage. My mother abandoned me on his stoop. I've always felt that no one loved me, but you…you were able to get past the dark cloak I put on. You love me for me…and that's a rare thing…you know, for someone like me…" I said.

Peter remained silent, waiting for me to continue on. "I suffered throughout my life immensely, and I always wanted true love, but could never find it. No one has ever loved me the way you do." I said.

"King…people love you…your fans, they-"

I interrupted him saying, "They don't know me…they love what I show them…They love King, but not me…" I noticed that tears formed in my eyes, but none of them fell. Peter saw this and looked down. I was surprised when I felt his hand take hold of mine. He sat back down next to me and looked at my face. This time, I was the one who couldn't make eye contact. I felt ashamed that I had let him in…but I needed to let it out.

"I know you…and I love you for the man under the mask, not just what you show to others. I know that inside, you're a sincere, caring individual and you gave me a chance when no one else would. I…really do love you." He said.

I smiled and went into shock when Peter embraced me. I felt slightly uncomfortable, but grateful at the same time. I wrapped my arms around him and got ready to finish what I was about to say.

"As much as I love you…you have to know…that…we can't work out…" I said. I felt Peter's body stiffen up at my words, almost as if he had just been stabbed. I felt regret, but I had to be honest.

"You're my step-son now…and I can't be with you…to do so would be failing you as a father, and I am not about to let that happen…" I said.

Peter stayed quiet and I wasn't sure what to say next. He seemed to be thinking about something, but he didn't make it known to me. Finally, he stood up and began to speak.

"I have to figure all these things out on my own. Thank you for listening to me, King." He said.

"You don't have to do things alone. You can always ask me for help." I replied. He straightened up and looked me in the eye before saying, "Sometimes, people have to do things on their own. It helps them see who they really are. It's time I did some growing up."

I don't know what he meant by that and I was starting to wonder if I ever would.


End file.
